as in deformation
the twisting of something out of its natural or normal shape or condition
the comedian is renowned for his seemingly endless variety of facial contortions
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Recent Examples of contortion
The most conspicuous symptom of this transition, certainly, was the contortion of the nation-state, and the resulting unravelling of political cultures built up over many decades.
—
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
There is also the chance to go conceptual and to study the body itself—its limitations, expressions, and even contortions, say by wearing or referencing the work of Rei Kawakubo, who was the topic of a Costume Institute exhibition in 2017.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026
There are nods to Linda Blair’s Regan in the sludgy projectile vomit that pours out of Katie, as well as the animalistic scampering, bodily contortions and levitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Wild performances kept the party going all night, with burlesque dancing from Violent Delights and Candace Cane, the latter of whom also did contortion.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
As the Supreme Court sets out to untangle State Farm’s latest legal contortions, the cases will continue to pile up.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps Gartside chose music as his medium for working out his relentless questions because of its power to sidestep the analytical mind’s reflexive contortions and speak directly to the heart.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Recently, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s uncanny ground-recovery move, revealing why the humanoid rises with contortions rather than standing upright.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
And this is not to shame the act of contortion.
—Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
There is also the chance to go conceptual and to study the body itself—its limitations, expressions, and even contortions, say by wearing or referencing the work of Rei Kawakubo, who was the topic of a Costume Institute exhibition in 2017.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026
There are nods to Linda Blair’s Regan in the sludgy projectile vomit that pours out of Katie, as well as the animalistic scampering, bodily contortions and levitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Wild performances kept the party going all night, with burlesque dancing from Violent Delights and Candace Cane, the latter of whom also did contortion.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
As the Supreme Court sets out to untangle State Farm’s latest legal contortions, the cases will continue to pile up.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps Gartside chose music as his medium for working out his relentless questions because of its power to sidestep the analytical mind’s reflexive contortions and speak directly to the heart.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Recently, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s uncanny ground-recovery move, revealing why the humanoid rises with contortions rather than standing upright.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
And this is not to shame the act of contortion.
—Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contortion
Noun
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However, the authors acknowledge that even their advanced simulations still cannot capture every fine-scale detail of crustal deformation or ejecta movement.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
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All of the processes of deformation, faulting and sedimentation are localized in one area, causing the Earth's crust to thin dramatically, according to Rowan, the study's lead author.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ace Reputation’s models are trained not just to recognize explicit falsehoods, but to identify subtler distortions - context shifts, narrative framing, and the early signals of viral propagation, Gaurav claims.—
Wyles Daniel
May 19,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
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Median Annual salary reflects the midpoint of earnings for each role; half of workers earn above this figure, half below—chosen over an average to avoid distortion from outliers.—
ByBryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
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The toebox’s square shape is also particularly accommodating for bunion deformities.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Romans did not share our sensibilities about gender or deformity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contortion. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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